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On sale since 2014, the third generation Lexus IS is well overdue for a full model change
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The next-generation IS may evolve into a full BEV model with 500 horsepower and 621 miles (1,000km) of range
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A BEV IS sedan could serve as a halo model in Lexus’ transition to being fully electric by 2035
A new report from Best Car Japan indicates the next-generation Lexus IS may be a dramatic departure from what buyers have seen previously.
The Lexus IS has been one of the brand’s most enduring nameplates, but it’s also one of the most overdue for a full generational change. Originally launched in 2014, the current IS has soldiered on through a series of refreshes, most recently a significant facelift in for 2026 that brought minor updates to exterior styling and major improvements to the interior. No amount of nipping and tucking can substitute for a clean-sheet redesign, and according to Best Car, that redesign is coming in 2027 – and it’s going to be a big one.
The report suggests the next-generation IS will abandon internal combustion entirely, debuting exclusively as a battery electric vehicle. If accurate, this would mark one of the most dramatic transformations in the nameplate’s history.
The powertrain lineup is expected to include a single-motor rear-wheel-drive configuration alongside a dual-motor all-wheel-drive variant, with the latter targeting around 500 horsepower. Perhaps even more striking is the range target: Lexus is reportedly aiming for 1,000 kilometers – approximately 621 miles – on a single charge, a figure that would put the IS among the longest-range EVs on the market.
On the design front, expect the next IS to take clear cues from the LF-ZC concept that debuted at the Japan Mobility Show in 2023. That concept previewed a dramatic new design language for Lexus, and the recently revealed new ES has already adopted elements of it.
The IS, however, is expected to push that aesthetic even further with a lower hood line made possible by the absence of a traditional engine, and a sleeker, more aggressive silhouette overall. Projected dimensions of approximately 188.5 inches long, 74.0 inches wide, and 54.9 inches tall suggest a car that’s grown in footprint while staying properly low and sporting.
Technology is set to be just as forward-looking. Best Car reports the new IS will incorporate gigacasting construction, Lexus’ DIRECT4 torque-vectoring all-wheel-drive system, and Arene OS, Toyota’s software-defined vehicle platform, enabling over-the-air updates throughout the car’s life.
With the current IS having spent over a decade on sale, the timing feels right. The 2027 next-generation IS has a real opportunity to redefine what a Lexus sport sedan looks like in the electric age and if those range and power figures hold, it could make a compelling case for itself against an increasingly competitive luxury EV field.
Source: Best Car Japan
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